Sreeleela has officially joined the cast of Rajinikanth‘s upcoming Tamil action film Dharman, the makers announced on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The announcement comes just days after Nayanthara was confirmed for the project. For Sreeleela, this marks her first time sharing screen space with the superstar.
The news was shared by Kamal Haasan‘s production house, Raaj Kamal Films International (RKFI), through a motion poster on social media. The caption read: “She’s got the spark. She’s got the pataka. Welcoming the gorgeous @sreeleela14 to DHARMAN.”
What the Announcement Promo Shows
The promo video features animated stills of Sreeleela set to a classical music track composed by Anirudh Ravichander. It ends with the text “Sreeleela enters the hearts of Dharman.”
Details about Sreeleela‘s character remain under wraps. Reports describe her role only as a “key” one, with no confirmation on whether she plays a romantic interest, a supporting character, or something else entirely.
Nayanthara Joined Days Earlier
Nayanthara‘s casting was announced on October 25, 2026, with RKFI posting: “THE AURA IS DOUBLE. Welcoming the one and only Nayanthara to DHARMAN.” This marks her sixth film with Rajinikanth. The two previously appeared together in Chandramukhi, Sivaji: The Boss, Kuselan, Darbar, and Annaatthe. Their last screen pairing was in Annaatthe (2021).
With Nayanthara and Sreeleela both on board, Dharman now has two major female stars from different generations of Tamil and Telugu cinema.
The Full Cast of Dharman
Dharman features a large ensemble. Here is the confirmed cast list:
- Rajinikanth as a doctor with grey shades, described by makers as a “Ketta Paiyan” (bad guy)
- Nayanthara in a key role
- Sreeleela in a key role
- Simran as one of the female leads
- Raashii Khanna in a pivotal role
- Yogi Babu in a supporting role
- Mysskin in the supporting cast
Actor Ram Pothineni is reportedly in talks to play the main antagonist, though the makers have not officially confirmed his involvement.
What We Know About Rajinikanth’s Character
Rajinikanth plays a doctor in Dharman. The first-look poster, released on June 24, 2026, showed him in blue surgical scrubs and sunglasses, holding a blood-stained scalpel inside an operating theatre. Bodies stitched together lay around his feet.
The film carries the tagline “Dharman: The Deadly Doctor.” The screenplay reportedly draws inspiration from real-life philanthropic medical professionals, including Chennai’s famous “Rs. 5 Doctor,” who offers treatment at very low cost. The story is said to blend this premise with a major narrative twist.
Director Ashwath Marimuthu described the film as an entertaining, family-oriented thriller with a vibe that mixes Rajinikanth‘s Padayappa and Kamal Haasan‘s Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu.
The Long Road to Dharman
Dharman is Rajinikanth‘s 173rd film. It was first announced in September 2025 under the working title Thalaivar 173.
The project saw multiple directorial changes. Sundar C was initially attached but stepped away citing “unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances.” Cibi Chakravarthy was then named as his replacement in January 2026, but that also did not work out. Ashwath Marimuthu, known for Oh My Kadavule (2020) and Dragon (2025), was announced as the director in June 2026 alongside the film’s official title.
The film was officially launched with a pooja ceremony in Chennai on June 24, 2026. Kamal Haasan spoke at the event about a promise made nearly 40 years ago: “About 40 years ago, during a flight to Bombay, we made a decision that we both should do a film together, where either he produces or I produce. That has been realised today.”
Rajinikanth added: “Kamal gave me complete freedom, saying he would leave everything to me and wouldn’t even ask for the story. That placed a huge responsibility on me.”
Production Status and Crew
Filming for Dharman has been progressing across multiple schedules in Chennai and Mysuru. The third shooting schedule wrapped up in September 2026.
The technical crew includes:
- Music: Anirudh Ravichander (his seventh collaboration with Rajinikanth after Petta, Darbar, Jailer, Vettaiyan, Coolie, and Jailer 2)
- Cinematography: Niketh Bommi
- Editing: Pradeep E Ragav
- Action choreography: Anbariv
- Production design: Karthik Rajkumar
Director Ashwath Marimuthu said the film has eight songs, each belonging to a different genre. “This is going to be an agmark Anirudh album,” he said at the launch event.
Sreeleela’s Growing Tamil Lineup
Sreeleela made her Tamil debut with Parasakthi, starring Sivakarthikeyan, released during Pongal 2026. The film was directed by Sudha Kongara and featured her in the role of Ratnamala.
She has several big projects lined up:
- Om Chapter 1: Udhiram with Dhanush, Mammootty, and Sai Pallavi
- Dare Devil with Ajith Kumar, directed by Adhik Ravichandran
- Her Bollywood debut opposite Kartik Aaryan in an untitled romantic musical directed by Anurag Basu, with music by Pritam, set for release on April 30, 2027
Sreeleela began her film career in 2019 with the Kannada film Kiss and has since worked across Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil cinema.
Release Information
Dharman does not yet have an official release date. Reports suggest the makers are eyeing a Pongal 2027 release, though the film may move to April 30, 2027, to avoid a clash with Kamal Haasan‘s Indian 3.
Shooting is expected to wrap up by November 2026, with the film targeting a Summer 2027 theatrical release.
An official announcement about the release date is expected after the current filming schedules are completed.
What Rajinikanth and Sreeleela Are Doing Next
Rajinikanth was last seen in Jailer 2, directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, which released in 2026. The film became Kollywood’s first film of 2026 to achieve a 100 crore ROI at the box office. He is also set to star in KH x RK, co-starring Kamal Haasan and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar โ their first film together as leads in over four decades.
Sreeleela was last seen in Ustaad Bhagat Singh alongside Pawan Kalyan. Her next release is Om Chapter 1: Udhiram with Dhanush and Mammootty.
For more updates on Tamil cinema, cast announcements, and release dates, keep reading VvipTimes โ your daily stop for clear and simple entertainment news.
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